


Protector

by dancerinthedark101



Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: Asthma, Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-07
Updated: 2014-11-07
Packaged: 2018-02-24 11:17:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2579606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancerinthedark101/pseuds/dancerinthedark101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny Matheson was only thirteen when he almost died.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protector

**Author's Note:**

> A short piece written a few years ago. Also posted on fanfiction.net. Set pre-series. Hope you enjoy.

They were hunting. Well, they were supposed to be hunting. Danny had followed his older sister out into the woods behind their little village in search of a large deer that had been roaming around. He'd been ordered to stay behind, but being thirteen years of age, Danny had entered a rebellious stage.

He hated that he was always left behind while his father and Charlie (his older sister) went out and hunted or went on scouting missions. He wasn't a little kid anymore! So when the opportunity presented itself, he took it.

Their father was out on some kind of scouting mission to a neighbouring village when Charlie had been asked to go look for this deer. They were running low on supplies, and a nice large deer would feed at least the children with a nice, hearty meal.

Of course he'd been told to stay behind. It was 'dangerous' out there, or so Charlie continuously said; although it apparently wasn't too dangerous for her. She was only three years older than him!

So as soon as Charlie had left, Danny had grabbed one of the crossbows someone had left lying around and traipsed on after her. He'd been quite lucky to avoid running into Maggie and Aaron, who were just as protective as his father and sister.

His stealthy approach didn't last long. He'd been following Charlie for a short while before she turned and glared in his direction.

"Danny!" she hissed, fists clenching. "What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be back home!"

Danny glared right back. "I'm sick and tired of being left behind all the time!" he retorted. "You and Dad always leave me behind. I'm not a little kid anymore, Charlie!"

"I know you're not, Danny! But you—"

"But I 'what' Charlie? I'm thirteen! You were my age when you started hunting! And don't you dare say it's because of my 'condition.'" He hissed the last word, teeth clenched in anger. Not for the first time, he desperately wished he wasn't plagued with bad lungs.

Charlie opened her mouth and looked like she was about to snap something back, when the sound of twigs breaking under something heavy came to their attention. Both Matheson children's heads snapped to the side, watching warily where the noise had come from.

Quietly, Charlie motioned for Danny to follow her. Swallowing nervously, the younger teen complied and followed his sister into the brush. Kneeling, they both hid behind a large shrub and waited.

It wasn't long before it came into view. Danny blinked as he saw the majestic animal they were hunting step into the small clearing. He heard the sound of wood clinking against something and whipped his head around to stare as Charlie loaded up an arrow into the bow that had been strapped against her back.

"What… what are you gonna do?" he whispered.

Charlie looked incredulous. "What do you think I came out here for, Danny? We need the food."

Danny felt his mouth drop open. Of course he knew she was out here to kill it… He'd eaten deer many times before. But being out here – actually seeing the creature… it was a completely different scenario.

But they had to eat. Killing the animal was an act that needed doing.

"Just hurry up and do it…" he whispered, turning away as Charlie finished preparing the bow and arrow.

He heard the click of the arrow being loaded fully into place, followed by Charlie's leather gloves groaning with the strain of pulling against the string of the bow as it was pulled back. Charlie inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly.

It was as Danny heard his sister breath out slowly that he realised he was in trouble.

His breathing had started to hitch. He flung his eyes open and found himself staring into the very plant he'd been told to avoid. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but he'd been told to avoid it at any cost as it aggravated his asthma, badly.

Danny slowly backed away from the plant, one hand going up to press against his sternum as his breathing became more and more laboured. He screwed his eyes shut in concentration, trying desperately to take in a deep enough breath. He tried one of the exercises Maggie had told him about – envisioning himself breathing normally and stress-free. It had helped a few times when he'd had small attacks. But it didn't seem to be working now.

"Ch—Charlie…" the blonde teen rasped out, fear starting to work its way through his body. Why wasn't his breathing getting any easier? If anything, it was getting harder and harder to draw a decent breath.

"Danny! Shut it…" Charlie hissed.

"Charlie… please…" Oh god… It wasn't getting any better. Black dots started dancing in his vision as Danny felt his airways start to close even more.

"Danny?" Charlie's shocked voice reached his ears, but Danny chose to ignore it, instead focusing on his breathing. "Oh my god, Danny!"

By that stage the younger teen was barely able to draw in any air. He knew his lips would be turning a frightening shade of blue by now, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to care. All he wanted to do now was sleep – to close his eyes and forget about the trouble he was having.

"Danny! Don't you dare give up on me! Not now! Damn it, Danny!"

And as he found himself unable to inhale even a single particle of air, Danny Matheson passed out into his sister's arms.

Charlie screamed as her younger brother passed out in her arms. His face was extremely pale and his lips were a frightening shade of blue, bordering on purple. His mouth was slack, lips parted slightly as his head lolled against her shoulder.

"Danny!" she cried, shaking him. He didn't respond.

Oh god… He wasn't even supposed to be out here. She should have made him turn back when she'd first found him following her. Why had she let him stay?

Hang on… why was she sitting here wondering about what she should have done, when she should be getting Danny back to Maggie!?

"Hang on, Danny…" Charlie whispered to her younger brother as she lifted one of his arms and strung it over her shoulder, taking on his full weight. Danny's head flopped forward, his chin resting against his chest – a chest that wasn't moving…

"Shit!" she hissed the expletive. Normally she wasn't one to swear, but desperate times…

It thankfully didn't take long before they made it to the edge of the village. Charlie hoisted Danny up a little as he slipped towards the ground and screamed.

"Maggie!"

She could hear the desperation in her voice and hoped when people heard it, they would come running. "Maggie! It's Danny!"

Maggie – along with several others – raced around the side of one of the houses, their eyes widening in shock as they caught sight of Charlie and Danny.

"Please…" Charlie pleaded. "Help him!"

Immediately several of the men rushed forward and took Danny from her. She stood there, frozen, and watched as they carried him inside the medical hut, Maggie following suit.

She didn't know how long she stood there. The sky started to darken before anyone realised she was still standing there. Charlie was ushered inside and forced to sit down, a blanket being thrown over her shaking shoulders. Tears fell from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks and dropping onto clenched hands lying in her lap.

"Charlie?"

Her head shot up as Maggie entered the house.

"Maggie? Is he alright? Is he…?"

Maggie smiled weakly, her lips pulled thin and tight. "Danny's going to be fine. It was a close one and we used the last of the herbs we had saved up, but he'll be fine."

Charlie stood. She needed to see him. "Take me to him. Please…" Maggie had said he would be okay, but she needed to see it with her own eyes.

Entering their home, Charlie immediately made her way into Danny's room. He was lying on his bed, covered by a thin blanket. His breathing was still wheezy, much to Charlie's horror.

But as she closed the distance between them, she noticed that his eyes were open. His eyes were glazed and slightly out of focus, but they were open none-the-less.

"Danny…" she breathed, kneeling by his side and grabbing one of his hands. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry!" she cried, her head tipping forward as the tears fell.

"Hey…" he rasped, wincing at the roughness of his voice. "Charlie… don't worry. I'm okay. Honest…"

And as she looked into his eyes, Charlie realised that he had already forgiven her. Even though she'd very nearly caused his death, he didn't blame her… What did she do to deserve such a good brother?

It was as she sat here beside Danny, that Charlie promised she would take better care of him. He was growing up; growing into his own person. She would give him his space and independence when their father wasn't around, but she made it her duty to look after him, to be his protector. He was her little brother after all.

She would go to hell and back for him.

Little did she know that no more than four years later, she'd be forced to do that very thing.


End file.
